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In his youth Henry, as the audience might be aware from ‘Henry IV Parts One and Two’ as well as folklore, was rumoured to love what might be termed “street life” rather than the corridors of power at court. It is therefore dramatically important that Shakespeare introduces a transformed Henry which he does, in part through Canterbury and Ely’s discussion of the new King in Act One Scene One where they freely acknowledge: “never has such a sudden scholar made…” even though “the causes of his youth promised it not”. The new Henry is seen at his most impressive when he deals with the betrayal of Scroop, one of his old friends, by contriving a situation just before they sail for France where he has just appointed Scroop and his fellow would-be assassins as Commissioners. Henry then tells Scroop, Cambridge and Gray about a drunken man who had verbally abused him and qu
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“This day is call’d the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,”
This is a day he wishes to be remembered, but can also be seen as a way to motivate his soldiers, so they can say ‘ the day we fought for England with King Henry’. Henry approaches Williams in disguise to see how he feels about the King and his cause. Rather than deter Henry this ‘jest’ drives him on in his quest for France:
“We will in France, by God’s grace, play a set
Tell him he hath made a match with such a wrangler
That all the courts of France will be disturb’d”
National conflict becomes a personal conflict: Shakespeare displays to us Henry in his maturity, verbally dismissing the Dauphin and his message and pledging vengeance for the insult, as much as for rejecting his claim for the throne. Another point of view may be that Henry is brutal and childish which would make him worse than the French. The victory will not be Henry’s but something the whole nation can be proud of and celebrate forever. The incident may have been very amusing to Shakespeare’s audiences because Henry’s pledge to the French acts as a form of dramatic prophecy and they would have known the outcome of some a patronising gesture.
Shakespeare does not really develop the character of Henry; he begins and ends the play as a strong noble and decisive leader of a great country which reflects both history and the Elizabethan desire to see themselves as a part of great nation. He does, however, release his emotions at one point to mock the almost unbelievable betrayal by a man he considered so loyal and trustworthy: “What shall I say to thee, Lord Scroop? Thou cruel, in grateful, savage, and inhuman creature!” Shakespeare shows Henry handling this situation publicly to assure his nobles of his impartial stance where justice and the country is concerned.
Breed by his sufferance, much more of a kind.
One aspect that Shakespeare emphasises is his modesty, Henry does not want to accept that the victory is his after the battle, even though he and his men have won it he gives the victory to God. Privately this troubles him until after the battle. From a modern audiences’ point of view, Henry is showing no loyalty to an old friend, but is showing his moral strength and integrity at an early stage in the play.
“But if the case be not good, the King
himself hath a heavy reckoning to make”
This is disturbing for Henry because although he claims “Every man is the kings, every mans soul is his own” and Henry will not be able to quell this kind of doubt. estions them as to how they think the culprit should be punished.
Shakespeare in this scene shows Henry’s control and, patience in what must emotionally been a very difficult incident for him.
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